1. Field of the Invention
This invention refers to a sorting device for conveyor belt systems of the type comprising a plurality of conveyor belt units that can be angularly oscillated from a basically horizontal position, to a downwardly inclined position in the travel direction of the objects being conveyed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conveyors of the above mentioned type are used widely in several technical fields. For example in the industial field they are used as distributors in warehouses or as collectors and sorters in assembly lines. Moreover, in post offices they are used to select, sort and forward envelopes, packages, etc.
As it is known, conveyor belts have a fairly simple structure, composed of conveyor belts wound around their respective motorized rollers. By placing several conveyor belts one behind the other, a chain or conveyor belt line is created. Each individual conveyor constitutes what experts in the field refer to as a "sorting unit". So that sorting takes place on one side or the other of a conveyor belt line, several rollers assembled between one band and the other of a unit with axes that are perpendicular to those of the motor rollers that can be either raised or lowered to sort the package in a direction perpendicular to that of the conveyor belt line, have been designed.
An example of a conveyor belt capable of this type of sorting has been described and illustrated by the same applicant in the Italian Pat. No. 1025846 to which reference is made for further details.
Subsequent improvements have made possible conveyor belts capable of transporting and sorting an increasingly larger number of products.
At present the sorting devices designed on the basis of known technology are, generally speaking, efficient and their performance is optimum.
However, should there be a desire to increase the number of outputs, while maintaining a simple structure modification, problems of cost and size arise.